How a Joke Turned into One of the Biggest Submarine Tragedies Ever

In November of 2008, the Russians were overwhelmed by a devastating maritime tragedy less than a decade after the traumatic loss of the Kursk submarine in the Barents Sea. K-152 Nerpa, an Akula-class attack submarine, was conducting routine trials in the Pacific Ocean with a mixed military and civilian crew when something suddenly went wrong. At 8:30pm, the fire-control system was activated, and two forward compartments were sealed. Several crew members were now trapped inside with a dwindling supply of oxygen, unable to escape, while others tried to make sense of the situation. Inexplicably, there was no fire to put out…